I recently returned from a trip to Pennsylvania. I didn’t mention on any social media sites that I was going, as I think that is like announcing “Hey, y’all. my house is going to be empty for a week, c’mon in and help yourself!”

Not that any would-be thieves would find much except two cats hiding under the bed.

I’ve made the trip before, but never alone, so this was a big deal for me–especially going over the mountains in West Virginia. Every other time I’ve sat in the passenger seat and admired the view. This time, I kept my eyes on the road and a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

It took me two days to get there, but I had company on the way up. Sydney, the rescue cat, was on her way to her new home. She gave me the excuse I needed to visit my sister and brother-in-law. Not that I needed a reason, but the cat was the “impelling action” as writers say when starting a new story.

She was very good on the trip, chirping and squeaking answers to my comments. She loved the motel. I think she thought it was our new home and I didn’t have to imagine her indignation when she was put into her carrier the next morning for the second half of the trip.

Cat safely delivered, my sister and I spent the week doing fun things. We visited Conneaut Lake Park, an amusement park well over 100 years old and home to one of the last wooden roller coasters, the Blue Streak. No, I didn’t ride it. I did that once when it and I were much younger and I swore if God let me live I’d never get on a roller coaster again for the rest of my life. I am happy to report I have kept that promise.

Another day, we went to the county fair. I hadn’t been to a fair in ages, and we visited every exhibition barn and saw all the crafts and all the livestock. Way back when, when I was in junior high, the school closed for the week of the fair because all the Ag kids were there with their pigs, cows, or sheep. Need I add we were a rural school? There was one day when all the students who weren’t already at the fair took a field trip…to the fair. I couldn’t see that it had changed all that much since then–maybe more rides on the midway, but the rest was the same.

I remember when we got a new principal who was horrified that school was closed for fair week and put an end to that particular custom. But the first day of hunting season remained a school holiday because, you guessed it, all the boys were absent.

On the last day, my sister surprised me with a trip to an art show…steampunk. Since my last three novels are steampunk, this was a treat. I’ve shared a few pictures below.

S0…home again and ready to get on with everything, now that fall is almost here and church and community activities are gearing up again after a lazy summer hiatus. I hope you all had a wonderful summer!